Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-29
BELLIES OF SEVENTY YEARS AGO.
What q Writer of That Day said Of the
Daughters Of Columbia.

I
FATE IN THIS CTY-BEAUTIFUL WOMEN FOND OF
| 6AMBLING-A GLIMPSE OF WASHINGTON AND WASH
| INGToN SOCIETY IN 1916
Most of the members OF the present Congress are
married men, and large majority have their
families with them Many OF them have beautiful
daughters who make their debuts In society in
| washington, and who form a part of the "mar-
r1ageabe" society at the capital. Many alliances
are MADE here, and some of the most popular
bellies are those brought here by Congress
Matters were very different seventy years ago.
1t appears that in those earlier days Congress was
| looked upon,-at least by the young men OF the
Capita--as scourge that swOoped down upon
them every year and carried OF the flower OF
female loneliness reared In this sun-bottled CITY,
Single men were more numerous in Congress then,
ana tne nlgnest ambition OF young congressman
daughters Of columbia" during the winters cam.
palgn, and carry her OF to his home In the evil
deInesst Where. 1t was facetiously said, she was
guarded by wolves and rattlesnakes, who took the
place OF the fiery dragons of fabulous story.
washington women were then famed for their
beauty pea; ana rare accomplishments fame they
Warden, in his Description OF the District of
Columbia" book published in 1916 and not now
where there is a single volume, speaking of this
| SuOJect, says: 1.-THE state OF female society In
| washington does great honor to the SEX" though,
Ne ADMITS, tney are accustomed to sacrifice too
much to the 'empire OF fashion" ''They are GER
ta1nly," he says, ga superior women, generally
highly gifted in mental, as they are adorned with
personal endowments Butt he adds, with feel
Ing, There Is an evil which is deeply lamented.
NO sooner 40 the young ladies OF Washington ar
I'VE az the hubble state than they give their hands
10 some wo0lng stranger-a member OF Congress
who carries them OF in triumph to his distant
Washington reminds him of a nursery, whose
'nne1 plants are annually transported to foreign
ana less genial soil" he remarks that the young
men OF the capital complained bitterly OF this
OF Affairs.
Another characteristic of Washington women OF
Seventy years ago which remains to very limited
Warcen says that with all his predictions for the
columbian fair" he has seen among them fond
hess lor play much TO be regretted.
THE HEALTH OF THE CITY.
In the earlier days of Washington, there were
many efforts made by those who wanted the Capt.
tol elsewhere, to send abroad the impression that
the climate was unhealthy. With relation to these
Interpretations, Mr.. Warden says: cit is mpos-
Sl0le 10 imagine situation more beautiful,
nealtny, and convenient than Washington. I'M
pressions to the contrary he says are siOunded in
IN support Of IT. this he states that at
1ngtOn was one to forty eight or fifty while that
OF european cities was one to twenty three, and
no other American city showed as low rate as
washington. He says that In no reason was the
city ever visited by habitual diseases. He says
that the inhabitants suffered greatly from doc
tors and arsenic pills. or the doctors there were
nine most OF them who had just "picked up their
title" Quackery was worse than any disease
KNOWN at the Capital at that time.
THE PRICE OF CITY LOTS.
He says: "SOme city lots have been sold as high
as 40 cents per foot but the price generally ranges
from to Is cents" A lot near the Center mar
ket, he says, sold for 25 cents
A good COOK must have been more rare in WASH
1ngtOn prior to 1916 than now even. While
"female servants" got paid but 81 to 81 per month";
and seamstressses but $3.50, cook was paid from
his feet frozen OF.
Ice was sold here in the summer time then at so
cents per DuShel, and the servants in the principal
hotels slept on the floor in the dining rooms after
the guests had retired which the writer says was
objectionable for many reasons" There was a
nXed rate of cab fare in those days. The Capitol
was the central point OF reckoning. From there to
the White House, or to the navy yard, or Green
leaf Point, the fare was % cents.
CUTTING DOWN THE TREES.
In 1916 the people OF Washington were mourn
ing over the loss OF the magnificent forest trees
that adorned the space between the Capitol and
the White House. In the sale OF the land the right
to the wood was reserved, and it was not in the
power OF Congress or the corporation to prevent
the trees from being cut down and used as fire.
wood. venerable oaks and other forest trees
which shaded ga fine spring situated at the foot
OF Capitol hill, near Pennsylvania avenue were
cut down by barbarian hands, which did not even
spare the honeySuckle, eglantine and other fiOw-
erfng shrubs" spot like this, the writer says
would have been wOrshipped by the ancients as
s;SU{yQ SHcrO"